


paperboy

by chariiots



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: 80s singapore au, Fluff, M/M, it's just sweet and short it was fun to write, lapslock, seungcheol is super background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 04:07:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12246669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chariiots/pseuds/chariiots
Summary: in which the newspaper delivery boy delivers sunshine on gloomy days.[heavily inspired by first duty of love by butterworks, cross posted ontumblr]





	paperboy

 

“ji, i know this isn’t in your job scope, but help me collect the newspaper in the morning, yeah? i have to send chan to school when the paperboy usually comes, but i don’t want to inconvenience him.”

jihoon waves a cigarette around as he sighs. “can’t you pay him in advance, you know-”

“i know, i know,” seungcheol interrupts, close to begging jihoon. “look, i really dont want to put you on the spot. you just need to take the paper from him and pay him, that’s it. i promise.”

seungcheol isn’t a bad boss. he’s quite understanding, actually, letting someone like him to be a cashier. he’s not sure how many people have complained about him, but it’s probably more than enough to get him fired under a normal boss. instead, seungcheol always smiles and waves it off, acting like the complaints are nothing. “you’re a loyal worker, ji. i’d rather have someone who’s hardworking like you than anyone else.” this is something small, and jihoon owes him that much.

“fine.”

-

soonyoung remembers everyone on his sunday route by name. first, there’s mr chwe, the man who runs the neighbourhood hardware shop with the help of his son. always a coffee with two sugars for him, and even the kopitiam uncle is used to it, to the extent that soonyoung doesn’t need to say his order anymore. next would be the three aunties on level 17 of block 265. it’s a blessing that they’re always at the void deck, probably gossiping about their neighbors together. then, a quick delivery of five newspapers for the primary school teachers, and the final one to seungcheol’s shop. 

he’s memorized everyone by face already, and everyone recognizes him too. this is only a part time job to pass time, and it doesn’t really earn much. most of his earnings comes from tips from the neighbours, a note pressed insistently into the palm of his hand. yet, as little as it pays, he wouldn’t give up this job for anything in the world. it’s a nice feeling to just cycle around the neighborhood to do the deliveries, and to bring people small joys in their life. it’s his reputation now, rain or shine, he’d always find a way to finish the job with a smile on his face. 

yet, he doesn’t recognise the boy manning the cash register at seungcheol’s shop. he’s staring into space, as if he’s lost in a daydream. he wouldn’t blame the boy. business at seungcheol’s shop is usually bad in the mornings, but he still has to open shop no matter what. it only starts to pick up after lunch, when the children come out to play, chasing each other recklessly, hands sticky with ice cream. there’s the odd couple now and then, too lovestruck to care about the ruckus of the kids.

soonyoung waves a roll of newspaper in front of him, and the boy nearly falls off his chair in shock. he shyly takes the newspaper from soonyoung, before hurriedly dropping a dollar into his outstretched palm, not meeting his eyes even once.

even though the boy’s probably not looking at him, soonyoung still waves goodbye before cycling off.

-

soonyoung gets used to the boy pretty quick, though he never actually learns his name. all he remembers him by is “ice cream boy”, but their fleeting interactions are more than enough to make soonyoung feel just a bit happier. he reminds soonyoung of peaches in the summer, ripe for picking, with how his cheeks seem to always be tinted a light pink.

peaches here never says anything to soonyoung, but he slowly progressed from entirely avoiding looking at soonyoung to smiling and waving him in whenever he shows up. it’s alike those he has with everyone else, but peaches isn’t like everyone else. he makes soonyoung feel comfortable, makes him not feel the need to talk, and it’s nice.

the first time he sees peaches cry is maybe three months after meeting him. he has his head buried in his palms, shoulders shaking with each sob that wrecks his body. soonyoung’s not sure how to comfort him at all, considering that they’re still pretty much strangers, and peaches probably would want a bit of space now. so, he cycles back in the direction of the school, and picks a daisy from a bush on the side of the road.

when he cycles back to seungcheol’s shop, peaches is in a considerably better state, eyes still red but no longer crying. he places the newspaper and daisy on the counter before quickly hopping on his bike to cycle off, partially so that peaches wouldn’t need to pay, partially in embarrassment.

he doesn’t get to see jihoon’s initial shock soften into a fond smile, or him tucking the daisy in between the pages of a composition notebook to keep it.

-

it becomes a habit after that, to take a small detour to the florists to buy a flower for peaches. it’s worth every single cent if it means that he can put a smile onto his face.

one day, in return, peaches stops him from leaving and hops off the barstool behind the register. he gestures towards the icecream, then points towards himself, as if to say that it’ll be his treat. soonyoung gestures to whatever the pale pink one is.

“cup or cone?” jihoon asks the paperboy, but he just stares back in confusion. “cup or cone?” he repeats, thinking that he didn’t hear him the first time. when the paper boy gestures to his ear, then shakes his head, it all connects immediately.  

he watches the paperboy cycle away with a cup of icecream in his hand, ink on the side smudging due to the condensation. even after he’s long left, he can’t stop smiling. 

  
“thanks.  
-jihoon”

-

it’s not a sunday today, but soonyoung still holds onto the hope that jihoon would be here today, clutching onto a box in his clammy hands as he gets off his bike. as luck would have it, jihoon is there as he hoped he would be, nervously taking the order of two young boys. the moment he sees soonyoung though, his face lights up, and he quickly serves the two boys.

to be honest, the boys reminds him awfully a lot of when he was young, and he wonders what it would’ve been like if they knew each other when they were kids. he wonders what jihoon’s voice sounds like, if it’s as honey sweet as he looks, if it’s rough and raspy and alluring. but, soonyoung knows he would fall in love with jihoon’s voice, no matter what it sounds like.

the moment the boys leave, soonyoung immediately jogs up to him to pass him the box, gesturing to him to open it. jihoon takes out the note, gently running his fingers over the dried ink.

_jihoon-ah, i like you a lot. i like how you make me feel at ease, i like your smile, i like making you happy. i want to be by your side, to make you happy, to see your smile every day._

“seungcheol helped me get a hearing aid, and told me to confess to you. i didn’t know when to give you the letter, but it just felt like the right day today? jihoon, i like you so much, and i want to know, will you be mine?”

“i like you too, soonyoung. you make me feel at home.”

his voice sounds like that of an angel’s, and soonyoung can feel himself fall even deeper than before, if it’s even possible. “is that a yes?”

“yes, you idiot. yes, i’ll date you.”

grinning from ear to ear, he says cheekily, “seal it with a kiss?” jihoon’s cheeks turn crimson as he tiptoes, leaning over to leave a soft peck on his cheek.

yeah, maybe paying seungcheol back in monthly instalments won’t be as much of a pain as he initially thought it would be, especially if he gets to hear jihoon’s voice everyday.

**Author's Note:**

> to clear things up a bit, soonyoung's hearing degenerated as he grew older, so he can speak and read lips, but needs a hearing aid to hear people properly, but it's,,, pricey
> 
> [prompt me!](https://cheriiots.tumblr.com/ask)
> 
> social media: [tumblr](https://cheriiots.tumblr.com/) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/chariiots) | [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/woozwhy)


End file.
